Question

why forward curved vanes are not used in reciprocating pumps

Answer 1

Centrifugal pumps do not always have backward curved vanes. But when they do, it is mostly for fluids in the incompressible regime of operation such as water. For compressible operation of fluids such as air, forward curve-vaned centrifugal pumps are used.

The net ideal head developed by a centrifugal pump is given by hideal=A−BQ" role="presentation" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; display: inline; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size: 14px; text-indent: 0px; text-align: left; text-transform: none; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: normal; word-wrap: normal; white-space: nowrap; float: none; direction: ltr; max-width: none; max-height: none; min-width: 0px; min-height: 0px; border: 0px; position: relative;">hideal=A−BQhideal=A−BQ  where  Q" role="presentation" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; display: inline; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size: 14px; text-indent: 0px; text-align: left; text-transform: none; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: normal; word-wrap: normal; white-space: nowrap; float: none; direction: ltr; max-width: none; max-height: none; min-width: 0px; min-height: 0px; border: 0px; position: relative;">QQ is the volume flow rate at the impeller outlet and A,B are constants for a given impeller running at a given speed. Additionally, B∝" role="presentation" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; display: inline; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size: 14px; text-indent: 0px; text-align: left; text-transform: none; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: normal; word-wrap: normal; white-space: nowrap; float: none; direction: ltr; max-width: none; max-height: none; min-width: 0px; min-height: 0px; border: 0px; position: relative;">B∝B∝cot(β2)" role="presentation" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; display: inline; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; font-size: 14px; text-indent: 0px; text-align: left; text-transform: none; letter-spacing: normal; word-spacing: normal; word-wrap: normal; white-space: nowrap; float: none; direction: ltr; max-width: none; max-height: none; min-width: 0px; min-height: 0px; border: 0px; position: relative;">cot(β2)